Category:Attentive
Theme Analysis
In the practice of bhakti-yoga, mechanical performance of duties is insufficient; true spiritual advancement requires deep focus. Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that the mind must be fully engaged for the senses to function correctly, meaning that spiritual activities must be performed attentively (susamāhitaḥ). This principle is most critically applied to the process of hearing (śravaṇam). The Vedic literatures, particularly the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and Bhagavad-gītā, are not ordinary books; they contain the transcendental sound representation of the Supreme Lord. Śrīla Prabhupāda emphasizes that if one submissively and attentively hears this message from a bona fide source, the Lord is immediately established within the heart.
The history of the Bhāgavatam perfectly illustrates this standard. Śrīla Prabhupāda points out that there was never a speaker as qualified as Śukadeva Gosvāmī, nor a hearer as attentive as Parīkṣit Mahārāja, who, knowing he had only seven days to live, focused his mind completely on the transcendental messages. Similarly, Lord Kapila expressed great joy when His mother, Devahūti, inquired attentively about spiritual subject matters, showing that an attentive disciple naturally pleases the spiritual master.
Beyond philosophical hearing, Śrīla Prabhupāda instructs that a Vaiṣṇava must be highly attentive to their practical devotional duties. Temple worship, offering food to the Deity, chanting sixteen rounds, and maintaining the standard morning program all require strict, mindful application. He notes that while occasional inattentiveness during japa due to inexperience is not a serious fault, the constant endeavor to chant with full concentration releases the devotee from the bondage of fruitive activities. Finally, Śrīla Prabhupāda reveals a beautiful reciprocation: just as a father is especially attentive to a completely dependent child, the Supreme Lord is especially attentive to the protection and deliverance of a fully surrendered devotee.
- The Power of Hearing: Attentively and submissively hearing the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam from a bona fide source cleanses the heart and establishes the Supreme Lord within.
- The Perfect Example: Parīkṣit Mahārāja represents the ultimate standard of attentive hearing, focusing his mind entirely on Kṛṣṇa during the last seven days of his life.
- Practical Focus: True Kṛṣṇa consciousness means being highly attentive to all daily routine duties, such as Deity worship, chanting japa, and following the regulative principles.
- Divine Reciprocation: When a devotee becomes completely dependent and attentive to the Lord's service, Kṛṣṇa becomes incredibly attentive to the devotee's spiritual protection.
- Explore the synthesized essence of this category in this Vanipedia article: Attentive - The Key to Spiritual Reception.
Subcategories
This category has the following 12 subcategories, out of 12 total.
G
H
K
M
O
R
V
Pages in category "Attentive"
The following 61 pages are in this category, out of 61 total.
1
A
- Although Yuvanasva went into the forest with his one hundred wives, all of them were very morose. The sages in the forest, however, being very kind to the King, began very carefully attentively performing an Indra-yajna so that the King might have a son
- Another young gopi told her mother, "My dear mother, the birds, who are all looking at Krsna playing on His flute, are sitting very attentively on the branches and twigs of different trees"
- As soon as one attentively and submissively hears the message of Bhagavatam, by this culture of knowledge the Supreme Lord is established within his heart - SB 1.1.2
- As soon as one attentively and submissively hears the message of Bhagavatam, he becomes attached to the Supreme Lord - Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.1.2
B
- Because Bhagavad-gita is spoken by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, one need not read any other Vedic literature. One need only attentively and regularly hear and read Bhagavad-gita. BG 1972 Introduction
- Become always attentive to all aspects of temple's activities, especially to the regulative spiritual life & preaching work. If this standard of devotional practices is maintained at the highest level, everything else will become automatically successful
I
- I (Sukadeva) shall now try to relate the activities of the descendants of Priyavrata, the second son of Svayambhuva Manu. Please hear them attentively
- I have read all the newspaper cuttings and handbills very attentively, and I very much appreciate the counter presented by us against the vilification by the enemies
- If you study, if you take information from Vedic literature, if you attentively think over it, you'll very easily understand that everything is produced out of Krsna's bodily effulgence or energy
- In a deep voice that resembled the rumbling of clouds, the Lord replied to the demigods, who all stood there attentively with folded hands
- In this regard, an example is given from an old history. This involves a discourse between Yamaraja and the friends of a dead person. Please hear it attentively
- It is not that He (Krsna) becomes attentive to us only when we offer prayers to Him. Even before we offer our prayers, He incessantly tries to deliver us
- It is stated that a woman who has another lover besides her husband shows herself very attentive to her household duties, but is always thinking, "When shall my lover and I meet in the night?" This is an example
K
- Kamsa called for his expert elephant trainers, as well as for the wrestlers Canura, Mustika, Sala, Tosala, etc., & he told them, “My dear friends, try to hear me attentively. At Nanda's place in Vrndavana there are two brothers, Krsna & Balarama
- King Prthu said: O gentle members of the assembly, may all good fortune be upon you! May all of you great souls who have come to attend this meeting kindly hear my prayer attentively
- Knowing that the Hera-pancami festival was drawing near, King Prataparudra attentively talked with Kasi Misra
M
- My Lord, as the fire in arani wood is covered, You and Your unlimited knowledge are covered by the material modes of nature. Your mind, however, is not attentive to the activities of the modes of nature
- My mind is already restless, and by playing with a ball, moving it all about with your lotuslike palm, you are also agitating my eyes. Your curling black hair is now scattered, but you are not attentive to arranging it
O
- O conqueror of wealth, Arjuna, have you heard this attentively with your mind? And are your illusions and ignorance now dispelled? BG 18.72 - 1972
- O Danavas and Daityas! O Dvimurdha, Tryaksa, Sambara and Satabahu ! O Hayagriva, Namuci, Paka and Ilvala! O Vipracitti, Puloman, Sakuna and other demons! All of you, kindly hear me attentively and then act according to my words without delay
- O sons of Daksa (the Savalasvas), please hear my (Narada Muni's) words of instruction attentively. You are all very affectionate to your elder brothers, the Haryasvas. Therefore you should follow their path
- O sons of Daksa, please hear my words of instruction attentively. You are all very affectionate to your elder brothers, the Haryasvas. Therefore you should follow their path
- O Vyasadeva, in that association and by the mercy of those great Vedantists, I (Narada) could hear them describe the attractive activities of Krsna And thus listening attentively, my taste for hearing of the Personality of Godhead increased at every step
- Once while touring the world, Lord Rsabhadeva, the Supreme Lord, reached a place known as Brahmavarta. There was a great conference of learned brahmanas at that place, and all the King's sons attentively heard the instructions of the brahmanas there
- One becomes engaged exclusively in the service of the Lord, being attentive to carry out the orders of the Lord faithfully
- One cannot offer to the Deity according to one's whims; since these fruits and vegetables are available anywhere in the universe, we should observe this small point very attentively
- One devotee said that even when he was not very attentive he would sometimes, seemingly out of madness, remember the lotus feet of Krsna within his heart. This is an instance of remembrance resulting from constant practice
- One gopi told mother Yasoda, "Although they (the demigods) are very learned and expert, they cannot understand the musical arrangements of Krsna’s flute. They simply listen attentively and try to understand, but they become bewildered and nothing more"
- One who deserves to approach the Supreme Lord Sri Krsna is called the maha-paurusika. Anyone who hears Srimad-Bhagavatam attentively from its bona fide reciter is sure to become a sincere devotee of the Lord, who is able to award liberation
- One who is worshiping the Deity must be always attentive and mindful of his occupation at all times. He must never for one moment forget his duty of serving the Deity at every moment and strive always to please the Lord
S
- Sanatana Gosvami saw that although the hotel keeper did not know them, he was being especially attentive to their comfort
- Sri Suta Gosvami explained: I shall now explain to you the very subjects explained by the great sage in answer to King Pariksit's inquiries. Please hear them attentively
- Sri Suta Gosvami said: The great sage Sukadeva Gosvami was highly experienced and was pleased with the King. Thus being questioned by the King, he said to him, "Please hear the topics attentively"
- Srimad-Bhagavatam (SB 1.2.14) states: Suta Gosvami replied to the sages headed by Saunaka - Everyone should very attentively listen to the pastimes of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. One should glorify His activities and meditate upon Him regularly
- Sukadeva Gosvami continued to speak: Maharaja Nabhi, the son of Agnidhra, wished to have sons, and therefore he attentively began to offer prayers and worship the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Visnu, the master and enjoyer of all sacrifices
T
- That (not chanting attentively) is not a fault. Suppose you are trying to do something. Due to your inexperience if you sometimes fail, that is not a fault. You are trying
- The great sage Narada continued: My dear King, attentively receive from me a mantra, which is most auspicious. After accepting it from me, in seven nights you will be able to see the Lord face to face
- The Lord (Krsna) protects everyone, but one who depends completely upon Him is especially looked after by the Lord. The father is more attentive to the little son who is exclusively dependent on the father
- The next day, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and His personal associates got up in the dark and attentively took their early-morning baths
- The Personality of Godhead, who appears in the mind of the devotee by attentive devotion and meditation and by chanting of the holy name, releases the devotee from the bondage of fruitive activities at the time of his quitting the material body
- The senses cannot work if the mind is absent. Therefore we call "attentively, concentrating your mind." So mind is above the senses
- The word susamahitah means "very attentive" or "fully fixed." The ability to fix the mind in this way is a result of yoga-siddhi, mystic perfection. As it is stated in Srimad-Bhagavatam (SB 12.13.1), dhyanavasthita-tad-gatena manasa pasyanti yam yoginah
- There is no such requirement that Japa should be silently and chanting should be done differently. Loudly or silently, everything is all right. There is no such restriction. Only thing is that we should chant very attentively
- There was none so attentive as Maharaja Pariksit in the matter of hearing Srimad-Bhagavatam, and there was none so qualified as Sukadeva Gosvami to recite the text of Srimad-Bhagavatam
- These five wanted to accompany Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu to Jagannatha Puri, but the Lord attentively bade them farewell
W
- When a relative dies one certainly becomes very much interested in philosophy, but when the funeral ceremony is over one again becomes attentive to materialism
- When a student hears spiritual subjects attentively, the spiritual master becomes very happy. Kapiladeva was very happy to see His mother eager to understand spiritual subject matters. He therefore thanked His mother for her inquiry
- When he was cursed that he would die within seven days, he became very serious, and all the sages and saintly persons agreed that, Maharaja Pariksit, for the last remaining days of his life, seven days, he should hear attentively Srimad-Bhagavatam
- While in trance, Lord Brahma heard the words of Lord Visnu vibrating in the sky. Thus he told the demigods: O demigods, hear from me the order of Ksirodakasayi Visnu, the Supreme Person, and execute it attentively without delay - SB 10.1.21
- Without the attentive service of his parents, a child cannot grow to manhood; similarly, without the care of the spiritual master one cannot rise to the plane of transcendental service